When Kumar Sangakkara strides into the hubbub of Test cricket at the MCG on Boxing Day, he may breathe in the moment a second longer than the others who take the field. He is the keenest student of the game in the Sri Lanka dressing room and, perhaps in that pursuit, his thirst is unparalleled among current international players.

Others have spoken of not being overawed by the occasion, but Sangakkara will not allow this experience to slip by so casually. It has taken him 12 years at the top level, 30 Test centuries and countless weeks as the game's premier batsman before he could take guard on cricket's biggest stage. And the chance to let 158 years of passion, grandeur and tradition wash over him will be irresistible.

He begins the match requiring 40 more runs to reach 10,000 Test runs and there is perhaps no more fitting venue in the world on which he should confirm himself as one of cricket's modern greats than Australia's most iconic ground. Sangakkara has often spoken highly of the "Australian way of doing things", particularly earlier in his career, and he has adopted ideals that abound most ostensibly in Australia: iron-clad resolve, an unrelenting emphasis on training and technique, and an uncompromising will to succeed.

At the beginning of his career, it was not uncommon to hear Sangakkara rattle away in the batsman's ear from behind the stumps, almost like a Sri Lankan Ian Healy. He has mellowed since, by his own admission, but his smug speech to Shaun Pollock in the Super Eights of the 2003 World Cup remains one of cricket's most memorable recent sledges, particularly outside an Ashes series. Men have sought to shake him by hurling words at him over the years, but they have quickly recognised the immutability of his focus, and opponents no longer bother.

Even among his teammates, Sangakkara will not claim to be the most gifted batsman. Mahela Jayawardene was a prodigy - almost a household name in Sri Lanka years before he made his debut -and the artistry he brings to the crease can only be innate. Sangakkara's success has not been so propelled by ability. Labour has been the sacrifice he lay at batting's altar, and he has been rewarded with a richer technique and record that many would have suspected him capable of when he first arrived in international cricket. As a senior, he now often has the privilege of facing net bowlers at their freshest at training, but even after his stint he hovers around in all his gear, scavenging a few overs here and there until the bowlers are sick of seeing his defence. In Jayawardene's own words, "Sanga bats and bats, and bats and bats."

As captain, he brought a ruthless edge to Sri Lanka that the side had not known before. Never shy of showing displeasure in his team when they fell short of his expectations, and a pest to umpires whom he felt had wronged Sri Lanka, Sangakkara would exhaust every avenue that might bring his side an advantage.

During in an ODI in Dambulla, Sohail Tanvir scampered an overthrow that had rebounded unintentionally off his foot - a single which he was entirely entitled to take. In a flash, Sangakkara was in the batsman's face, arguing furiously that the run should never have been attempted. Eventually Tanvir cracked and called his partner back. Sangakkara might have let slip a smile as he walked back to his mark behind the stumps.

Sangakkara is not always counted in batting's modern pantheon, but few arguments against his greatness can survive the torrent of statistics he has stockpiled in the past decade. He has played as a specialist batsman for well over half his career and averages 67.08 in those 66 Tests. He has hundreds against every Test team, and everywhere but in the West Indies - an anomaly he may no longer put right, after Sri Lanka's two Tests scheduled there next year were further pushed to the future. He has eight double hundreds, fewer only than Don Bradman and Brian Lara, and if he scores 40 in the first innings in Melbourne, he will become the joint fastest man to 10,000 runs, alongside Lara and Sachin Tendulkar. If he gets there in the second innings, he will be on par with Ricky Ponting. This is no trifling company. Like each of those men, he is driven by personal accomplishment and has unremittingly pursued the extraordinary.

"If you're a batsman, 10,000 runs is that separation between a good batsman and one who will be remembered a bit more than the rest," he said in the lead up to the Boxing Day Test.

"It's really good to be almost there. There's no use of saying that you don't think of milestones. If you don't think of centuries, that's what you should be thinking of because that's what you want to do as a batsman, just like if you are a bowler, you want to take 300 wickets. Hopefully I will get beyond 10,000 as well."

Sangakkara might trade those 40 runs for a maiden Sri Lanka victory at the MCG, but the visitors cannot afford for him to have a bad game if they are to level with Australia. He had come off a lean series against New Zealand, but he ground out a difficult fifty in Hobart and, though his batting does not live and die on confidence, he will be glad to have shaken the poor trot. He is finally playing in one of cricket's most iconic fixtures, and if he can hit his best form there, perhaps he will have the universal acclaim he deserves.

No doubt Sri lanka's greatest batsman. To maintain an average of 55 over 10000 runs at a good strike rate puts him at the elite level. With 8 double centuries and 3 scores in the 190s, the bar is raised further, with only Brian Lara equal to this in the last 60 years.

on December 24, 2012, 23:44 GMT

A true cricketer to the core. A gentleman on and off the field who commands respect even in the apposing team dressing room. We are truly lucky to see Kumar Sangakkara come into international cricket and mature to the fine cricketer he has come to be. Hopeful this would be a memorable match for Sangakkara and Sri Lank.

on December 26, 2012, 8:17 GMT

One srilankan batsman i truly admire, he has real class, he must be listed as one of the modern greats with dravid,kallis, ponting,sachin. Mahela is a flat track bully but sangakkara is really good.

Sinhaya
on December 26, 2012, 1:59 GMT

@janoodot, thanks a lot and I fully agree with you. It was so much relief for me to see Sanga passing 10,000 test runs this morning a short while ago. Sanga is determined to do well should he fail. Mahela is stylish but extremely vulnerable outside Asia. When Mahela bats in Aus, SA or England I feel so jittery as to when will he get out because he bats with discomfort against the short ball. Actually Sanga and Samaraweera are good on faster pitches. Atapattu not only his stlye, he was quite good on the fast pitches if you look at his stats where he had 4 out of his 16 test tons, outside sub continent excluding Zimbabwe.

OzWally
on December 26, 2012, 1:51 GMT

Sangakkara is a great player, you only need to see that just 10 other players in the history of Test cricket have scored 10,000+ plus runs to realize that. For all you disputing this, grow up. Just because he isn't from your country stop trying to belittle his achievements.

LakmalPhysics
on December 26, 2012, 1:41 GMT

Congratulations Sanga for achieving 10,000 test runs..

bMike
on December 26, 2012, 1:05 GMT

@Jarr30:Your English clearly shows you are not an Englishman. If you check Jayasuriya's test stats he averaged just 15 in South Africa, 20 in NZ, 30 in India & 31 in Aus. Out of Jayasuriya's 6000+ test runs he has scored more than 4000 runs in SL. He scored most of those runs against weak Indian bowling attack during late nineties. Otherwise his stats would be much much weaker. Both Jayasuriya and Sangakkara has played same number of test matches away from Sri Lanka however Sangakkara has scored as twice as runs what Jayasuriya has scored in those away matches. We can't remember many match saving or match winning test innings Jayasuriya played. SL could save so many test matches because of heroic innings Sangakkara played when their all other batsmen failed. As an allroounder in ODIs Jayasuriya was usefull. If you only consider overrall batting in test & ODIs greatest batsman SL ever produced was Aravinda followed by Sangakkara, Mahela, Atapattu & Ranatunga.

late--cut
on December 25, 2012, 22:34 GMT

@Ali_Chaudhary ; I am not even sure how someone in the right mind can make such an argument. I say that is pure stupidity. Victory is achieved by a team effort. One player can only make a contribution for that effort. Even a 3rd grader would understand it. In case you didn't know, there are 11 players in a team. So pls do yourself a favor by not posting any comments coz you are way out of your league Pal. By the way Sanga could have taken the team to the victory in 2007 if it hadn't been for Mr. Rudy. For those who are verbal about his away records. "IN 49 AWAY TESTS SANGA HAS SCORED 4263 RUNS (A HALF OF HIS TOTAL) AT AN AVERAGE OF 49.56 INCLUDING 12 100'S WITH A HIGHEST SCORE OF 270". HE HAS SCORED 100'S IN EVERY COUNTRY EXCEPT W'INDIES. So pls pay this great person/cricketer his due respect. Have a nice day !!!!!! Peace out........

Ali_Chaudhary
on December 25, 2012, 21:21 GMT

opps 10 000 runs without a single test match victory against australia (home and away) thats the reason you cant call him even a good player.

Htc-Android
on December 25, 2012, 21:11 GMT

@ Imsrk Tell those guys to score 9 double hundred and then i will accept they are better than sanga. Not to mention his best score 287 came against SA and he has a very record against good bowling line ups like Pak and SA.

Drew2
on December 25, 2012, 1:00 GMT

No doubt Sri lanka's greatest batsman. To maintain an average of 55 over 10000 runs at a good strike rate puts him at the elite level. With 8 double centuries and 3 scores in the 190s, the bar is raised further, with only Brian Lara equal to this in the last 60 years.

on December 24, 2012, 23:44 GMT

A true cricketer to the core. A gentleman on and off the field who commands respect even in the apposing team dressing room. We are truly lucky to see Kumar Sangakkara come into international cricket and mature to the fine cricketer he has come to be. Hopeful this would be a memorable match for Sangakkara and Sri Lank.

on December 26, 2012, 8:17 GMT

One srilankan batsman i truly admire, he has real class, he must be listed as one of the modern greats with dravid,kallis, ponting,sachin. Mahela is a flat track bully but sangakkara is really good.

Sinhaya
on December 26, 2012, 1:59 GMT

@janoodot, thanks a lot and I fully agree with you. It was so much relief for me to see Sanga passing 10,000 test runs this morning a short while ago. Sanga is determined to do well should he fail. Mahela is stylish but extremely vulnerable outside Asia. When Mahela bats in Aus, SA or England I feel so jittery as to when will he get out because he bats with discomfort against the short ball. Actually Sanga and Samaraweera are good on faster pitches. Atapattu not only his stlye, he was quite good on the fast pitches if you look at his stats where he had 4 out of his 16 test tons, outside sub continent excluding Zimbabwe.

OzWally
on December 26, 2012, 1:51 GMT

Sangakkara is a great player, you only need to see that just 10 other players in the history of Test cricket have scored 10,000+ plus runs to realize that. For all you disputing this, grow up. Just because he isn't from your country stop trying to belittle his achievements.

LakmalPhysics
on December 26, 2012, 1:41 GMT

Congratulations Sanga for achieving 10,000 test runs..

bMike
on December 26, 2012, 1:05 GMT

@Jarr30:Your English clearly shows you are not an Englishman. If you check Jayasuriya's test stats he averaged just 15 in South Africa, 20 in NZ, 30 in India & 31 in Aus. Out of Jayasuriya's 6000+ test runs he has scored more than 4000 runs in SL. He scored most of those runs against weak Indian bowling attack during late nineties. Otherwise his stats would be much much weaker. Both Jayasuriya and Sangakkara has played same number of test matches away from Sri Lanka however Sangakkara has scored as twice as runs what Jayasuriya has scored in those away matches. We can't remember many match saving or match winning test innings Jayasuriya played. SL could save so many test matches because of heroic innings Sangakkara played when their all other batsmen failed. As an allroounder in ODIs Jayasuriya was usefull. If you only consider overrall batting in test & ODIs greatest batsman SL ever produced was Aravinda followed by Sangakkara, Mahela, Atapattu & Ranatunga.

late--cut
on December 25, 2012, 22:34 GMT

@Ali_Chaudhary ; I am not even sure how someone in the right mind can make such an argument. I say that is pure stupidity. Victory is achieved by a team effort. One player can only make a contribution for that effort. Even a 3rd grader would understand it. In case you didn't know, there are 11 players in a team. So pls do yourself a favor by not posting any comments coz you are way out of your league Pal. By the way Sanga could have taken the team to the victory in 2007 if it hadn't been for Mr. Rudy. For those who are verbal about his away records. "IN 49 AWAY TESTS SANGA HAS SCORED 4263 RUNS (A HALF OF HIS TOTAL) AT AN AVERAGE OF 49.56 INCLUDING 12 100'S WITH A HIGHEST SCORE OF 270". HE HAS SCORED 100'S IN EVERY COUNTRY EXCEPT W'INDIES. So pls pay this great person/cricketer his due respect. Have a nice day !!!!!! Peace out........

Ali_Chaudhary
on December 25, 2012, 21:21 GMT

opps 10 000 runs without a single test match victory against australia (home and away) thats the reason you cant call him even a good player.

Htc-Android
on December 25, 2012, 21:11 GMT

@ Imsrk Tell those guys to score 9 double hundred and then i will accept they are better than sanga. Not to mention his best score 287 came against SA and he has a very record against good bowling line ups like Pak and SA.

janoodot
on December 25, 2012, 20:02 GMT

@Sinhaya & Mahanama, plz don't bother to reply to matcfixerpkn's comments and waste yor time. I'm sure he is not from Pakistan & you can judge how poor his cricketing knowledge is. Btw, for me the best SL batsman in both tests & ODIs up to date is Aravinda. He scored 267 against NZ in NZ in a time SL was considered as minnows. Also 150+ in Aus in Aus in that period. Even if you remember the post 1996 WC era, if Sana & Kalu get out for cheap runs Aravinda singlehandedly had taken the team to win in many times in ODIs. For me Sana is the best entertaining batsman in SL (followed by Dilly) who can make strokes effortlessly. Marvan is the most technically stylish batsman. Sanga is the most hardworking & consistent batsman in tests followed by Mahela.

on December 25, 2012, 19:59 GMT

Sanga
Getting ready to go to the MCG- the pinnacle of Cricket in down under. You are an inspirational cricketer. It was a brilliant speech at the Grand, charity dinner few nights back. We are proud of you- what ever the outcome of this match. Good luck with 10,000 mark. Keep up the good work. All the best- best wishes for both teams for a fantastic match.

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 19:28 GMT

@Imsrk, we nearly got our first ever test win in Australia in late 2007 when Sanga scored 192 and was dismissed by a "KOERTZEN SPECIAL"! That innings Malinga also clicked with a blazing 42 not out. If DRS was there, he could have batted on and got us home, who knows! I agree we have played a our worse overall test cricket both home and away against Australia and it is now time to erase it. Like how we registered our first test win in SA this time last year, there is always a first time for everything. Like how India registered their first ever test match win in SA in Dec 2006 in Johannesburg. BTW a big thank you to BCCI for helping our cricket board overcome financial woes by coming down this year.

warneneverchuck
on December 25, 2012, 18:56 GMT

Most overrated player guts like tamim and shakib r far better than sanga

warneneverchuck
on December 25, 2012, 18:53 GMT

I hope SL win ther first test in India and Aus before 2050

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 18:45 GMT

@Mahaanama, thanks for your support and you nicely summed it up. Meaningless arguing with matchfixerpkn who knows nothing about cricket. He just wants to keep arguing for the sake of arguing. Recall the quote by Plato "a wise man will always have something to say, but a fool will have to say something". This matchfixerpkn is a poor looser who is struggling to keep up. Simple as that! Cricinfo please publish.

Dr_Rashid_Ali
on December 25, 2012, 18:39 GMT

10,000 runs is a milestone. No matter how, and where the runs are scored. It is a statistic that shows consistency. If the argument holds water, then every one should be making 10,000 runs in IND, PAK and SL... fact is that they dont. G Hick was a true flat track bully, but never was successful in IND or in PAK. To score runs one needs the correct temperament, patience and of course a lot of ability. Comparisons are pointless, as each one of those who have reached this milestone has won the hearts of millions around the globe, all in the name of cricket. We should really be celebrating the game of cricket, though always room for celebrating the individual contributions.

Rising_Edge1234
on December 25, 2012, 18:38 GMT

Jarr30, based on your logic then lots of Sri Lankans should have 10000 runs already since all of them play on the same surfaces.

Jarr30
on December 25, 2012, 16:16 GMT

matchfixerpkn@@ Being a nuetral Englishmen I 100% agree with you. Sanga must have scored 10000 runs but 9600 runs came from SriLanka's flat tracks. In my mind Sangakarra is OVERRATED compared to J'surya,Sehwag, Gili & co. I wouldn't put him current top 10 players either.

Jarr30
on December 25, 2012, 16:07 GMT

Its great to see Sanga complete 10000 runs BUT TO BE HONEST most of these SriLankan batsmen play in flat dusty pitches in Srilanka, so it's not a big deal for an average batsmen like Sangakarra & j'wardene to complete this milestone. If you ask any Englismen he will mention Jayasuriya as one the best batsmen from Srilanka.

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 15:32 GMT

@matchfixerpkn: I understand that it's more difficult to argue with one foolish than arguing with 100 Pandits. Because foolish keep repeating the same thing without considering what others say as he doesn't have enough wisdom to understand anything logical. So I won't write anything about your comments hereafter. Somehow finally I saw your true colors. Yes you are absolutely correct. Your team is the best team cricket has ever produced and there won't be any better players than your favorite players even in the future.

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 15:11 GMT

Mahaanama...indina bundled 133/9...same indian who defeated srilanka 5-1 recently...so please expalin which team is best in s continent ?

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 15:09 GMT

Mahaanama...even in current players list sangakara is no where closer to amla,clerke,peterson,d villeirs,kallis.
even in 10 year back liks.. he was no closer to huq,anwar,sachini,ponitng,kallis..
if yoi go far behind ..even his game is no closer to mark o,lara,sachin,richards...

he is only better than jayasuriya,rantunga,mahanama,gurusinge !!!

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 14:12 GMT

@Sinhaya; See how this matchfixerpkn has started this. He has said Sehwag is better than Sanga in his first comment. It's not something we can expect from a Pakistani fan. Because we saw England lost 3-0 to Pakistan not being able to handle Pakistani spin attack.Though SL also lost the test series 1-0 to Pakistan Sanga batted so well and won the man of the series award along with Ajmal. I also watched the post match presentation and at the presentation Ajmal also said it's very difficult to get Sanga out. Out of all informed batsmen these days Sanga is the one who handled recent Pakistani bowing attack better than all the other batsmen.Pakistani fans know it and they saw it. So I'm 100% sure this matchfixerpkn is not a Pakistani. He's definitely a supporter of flat track bullies. So please don't argue with him about SL vs Pakistan cricket.

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 13:41 GMT

@matchfixerpkn: You know Marshall,Ambrose,Walsh played until early & mid nineties. You also know Tendukar took 5 years to score his first ever ODI century during that time(in his 79th match in 1994). So before talking about how Sangakkara would handle those bowlers can you imagine how many centuries and how many runs Tendulkar would have scored if he had to face those bowlers for another 10 years? When Sanga started playing international cricket in 2000 both McGrath & Warne were at their prime but as an inexperienced batsman Sanga faced them well until they retired in 2007.Neither Brandman can go to future and face bowlers like Akram,Ambrose, Marshall nor Sanga can go to past and do it. What we only know is both of those batsmen are top ranked batsmen in their eras. If u doubt how Sanga would handle certain bowlers he never faced u can still imagine he would handle those bowlers better than the batsmen who faced those bowlers but ranked well below Sanga when Sanga is top ranked.

spiritwithin
on December 25, 2012, 12:56 GMT

for indian fan like us it will always be jayasurya and aravinda who will be regarded as the best lankan batsman to play against us,sanga is also good and i like his appetite for runs,most probably he's the best batsman at present after Kallis and Amla(maybe u can add Cook and KP as well)..

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 12:48 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, overall Pakistan has beaten Sri Lanka more times in tests and ODIs and everyone agrees. In the early 1980s and 90s we were weak with us getting very little tests and ODIs resulting in less experience. We got more and more fixtures only after we won the 1996 world cup. Get it?? You are diverting topics now for not being able to accept the dominance of Sanath Jayasuriya against Pakistan in his career. We have 6 out of our 9 test wins against Pakistan in Pakistan. Cricinfo please publish.

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 12:39 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, I have never ever shown negatives about Pakistani cricket ever on cricinfo. Honestly I cant understand why you hate Sri Lanka so much. I adore Pakistan big time as they are my 2nd favorite team. I am a big fan of Misbah Ul Haq, Younis Khan, Waqar Younis, Azhar Ali and many other Pakistani greats. You dont represent most Pakistani fans. I guess you have to find odd characters like you among any random fan selection as cant expect all Pakistani fans to be perfect. I am sure you are not a Pakistani as your screen name proves. Many Pakistani fans reading this clearly know my style and they wont get carried away by my response to you. Cricinfo please publish.

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 12:35 GMT

@Sinhaya: Dear friend, I'm 100% sure matchfixerpkn is not from Pakistan. See his name matchfixerpkn( match fixer Pakist). It's not possible for a Pakistani to make a profile name like this. I can guess where he's from. So please stop talking whatever happened when SL played against Pakistan.

bMike
on December 25, 2012, 12:20 GMT

@lukecannon-ENG: I'm quite sure you are not from Eng. Not only Jayasuriya but Aravinda,Mahela, Sanga and many other batsmen started their career as lower order batsmen batting at No 6, No 7. Jayasuriya has played more than 90% of his matches as an opener.Even though Jayasuriya used to be a useful allrounder in ODIs he was very inconsistent as a batsman throughout his career. Jayasuriya's job was just to hit over the in field when all fielders were inside 30 yard circle. His Job was not anything about handling pressure, talking responsibility,keeping his end and building partnerships that Aravinda, Mahela and Sanga had to do. Being a good batsman is not all about hitting over the in field. If Aravinda didn't play those exceptional innings in 1996 WC finals and semi finals neither SL would win the world cup nor Jayasuriya can get Man of the series award. No doubt Jayasuriya was one of the best allrounders SL produced but as a batsmen he's not even closer to Aravinda, Sanga or Mahela

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 12:12 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, Pakistanis adore Sanath Jayasuriya and that was why he got a red carpet welcome from the Sindh Province governor when they played an exhibition match in Karachi in September 2012. That was the only exhibition match you are referring to I guess. Sanath never needed any such game to show his color. Ample amounts of Pakistanis acknowledge how Sanath Jayasuriya excelled against Pakistan since the 1990s till he retired. Cricinfo please publish.

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 12:01 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, recall in 1998 when SA, SL and Pakistan played a tri series in SA. Then too Sanath Jayasuriya tackled Wasim and Waqar very well. See this http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/66081.html Kindly educate yourself as I have proven my point with pure facts. Cricinfo please publish.

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 11:45 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, forgot how Sri Lanka beat Pakistan 3-0 in ODIs when we toured Pakistan in March 2000? See this http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/61060.html. SJ tackled Wasim, Waqar and Akthar superbly! Cricinfo please publish

SeamingWicket
on December 25, 2012, 11:45 GMT

matchfixerpkn,
I suspect is not a pakistani but perhaps an indian
The name gives it away
Pakistanis are unlikely to name themselves like that

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 11:29 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, stop making fun out of Sri Lanka. Remember Pakistan could not make it to the finals of the 1997 independence cup which they hosted. This was how Sanath and Aravinda showed their colors and please appreciate it! http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/66128.html What do you think of chasing 280 in 40 overs? I feel sorry for sincer Pakistani fans because I never want to do this guys! Cricinfo please publish

I think there is an unofficial saying in cricket. If you can make it at the MCG you can make it anywhere. You play well there you can play well anywhere. With its four seasons in one day weather conditions. One day the weather can be like you are playing in England in May with a wind blast from the Antarctic. Another day you feel you are playing in the Middle East heat or feel like you are playing in type conditions you find in India. Thats the MCG. Oh and Aussies even a weak Aussie team hates not doing well at this famous venue. Its a special place for Aussie cricketers. So they are extra motivated to beat visiting teams . A very tricky place to come and play cricket.
Hopefully Sri Lanka's huge community in Melbourne will turn up to make the MCG less intimidating for Sri Lanka.
MCG has always been a tough testing ground for how good visiting cricketers cricket skills actually are. Any weaknesses you are found out at the MCG. If anyone can succeed at the MCG its Kumar Sangakkara.

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 11:19 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, this is another example of how Sanath Jayasuriya did well against Wasim and Waqar in 1993, when Sri Lanka was a weak side. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65856.html SJ started dominating consistently from 1996 onwards. Hey also dont forget Sri Lanka has beaten Pakistan 6 times in test matches in Pakistan. @All Pakistani fans reading, please forgive my rudeness. This matchfixerpkn is making fun of SL forcing me to respond.

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 11:17 GMT

Sinhaya..after searching whole day ..you got one match where jayasuriyas run ..but you forget to hide in same match wasim got 29 for 2 and waqar got 43 for 3....
still any one will conisder wasim and waqar bowled well ..

and for yoiur informatn ..in cricinfo record still srilankan not won singel test in australia / in total srilanka won 1 and lost 14....
even in worst period pakistan showed better performance agianst australi than srilanka...
if you search record ..there was one world cup was held in australia and pakistan won that world cup...and inzamam was m of series..(we never boost him as best as u do ) and du u now ..srilanka won only one match in that world cup ..that also agianst zimbawe !!!!..

hoe yoiu dnt remember the time where batsman called miandad,salim malik used to toy srilankan pace ans well spin togethter !!!..
search you will defiently get record..

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 11:13 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, this was how Sanath Jayasuriya dominated in Pakistan in 1995! We won the ODI series 2-1. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64498.html Cricinfo please publish!

lukecannon
on December 25, 2012, 11:04 GMT

matchfixerpkn- Your stats are all wrong. I double checked.

lukecannon
on December 25, 2012, 11:02 GMT

@Narbavi-The only promising bowlers who looks like he could be another Ambrose/Walsh are Junaid Khan, Varun Aaron ,Trent Boult ,Tim Southee and Stuart Meaker. But i didn't mean every bowler today are lollipop bowlers . I take that back. Steny, Morkel and Philander are fiery Pacers.

lukecannon
on December 25, 2012, 10:59 GMT

@Narbavi- Jayasuriya was an all-rounder.Sanath Jayasuriya was the one who put SL on the map. Jayasuriya was the one who carried SL to a WC win(by performing exceptionally well with both bat and ball throughout the series) ,hence he's directly responsible for SL being not called a minnow anymore. Jayasuriya shined when his country required him. It's not all about records mate. Jayasuirya has poor averages because he played for almost 6 years as a bowler who could bat a little bit. And he was way down the order in those times. So he never really got an opportunity to play a great knock.DeSilva is the best batsman produced by SL in my opinion and Jayasuriya was the best allrounder. Sangakkara and Mahela are in a league way below them because Jaya and DeSilva didn't actually face lollipop bowlers we find today. They faced the likes of Ambrose,Akram,Mcgrath(in his prime days), Warne, Akthar.Younis and so on.

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 10:54 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, Afridi broke Jayasuriya's record in a different match. Check the records properly. Also, Sri Lanka never lost 14 tests against Australia at home. We have lost 6 times. I can point out Pakistan's dismal test record against Aussies since 1995 till 2010, but I am not doing so because I am a nice guy. This is a good example of how Sanath Jayasuriya faced Wasim and Waqar! http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/66339.html More evidence yet to come. Cricinfo please publish.

on December 25, 2012, 10:21 GMT

wish u in Melbourne run faster Sanga

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 10:04 GMT

Sinhaya..dtn joke...there is not a single batsman in world who tackled wasmi/waqar ..(may be in one or 2 matches some greats succeded ) same with walsh/amrose..
may be in some exhibition matches dsilva /sanath scored runs ..
and dnt bring one independence cup..bring all the tournaments from 1980 to 2000 and find out overall performance of paksitan to your srilanka !!
first defeat australia atleast once in test match ..then coment on others performance...

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 9:54 GMT

Mahaanama..dnt joke..still srilanka not one any test in australia even after they gave you best batting pitch..and overall srilanka won 1 test against australia out of 14 loses ..that also in srilanka..
now dnt say that srilankna pitch are faster than perth :)

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 9:47 GMT

Sinhaya..hope yoiu also know how afridi broke recrod from your hero jayasuriya in same match :)

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 9:25 GMT

@getsetgopk, thanks for your wishes and hope Imran Khan can be the next PM of Pakistan. I also want to wish Pakistan the very best of luck in the tour of India and South Africa. South Africa tour will give a good idea as to where does Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq stand in the wake of good quality pace bowling. Time Pakistan grooms in Usman Salahuddin and Babar Azam to be the replacements for Misbah and Younis Khan who will not last very long. Hope Ajmal and Junaid Khan excel in SA. I hope my team can visit Pakistan in December 2013 as per the ICC FTP, but seems UAE is the likely venue yet again. Hope Misbah can score 4000 plus runs in both tests and ODIs before he retires.

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 9:10 GMT

@matchfixerpkn: You might be the luckeiuest guy to see Bangladesh getting test status because otherwise Tendulkar won't get a chance to score his highest score in test (248) against Bangladesh. You might be the luckeiuest one to see Bangladesh getting test status as your team gets 8-0 consecutive away loss and thrush at home but you still have someone else to call as minnows(Bangladesh is not a minnow though). Sanga has scored 284 runs in just 4 tests against Bangladesh during his entire career where as Tendulkar's 5 test centuries come against Bangladesh(including his top international score) . Is Sanga really luckey here?lol. Finally tell me who wainted to play a match against Bangladesh to get a century when he failed to make it against other strong nations for a long time?

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 9:06 GMT

@matchfixerpkn, since this is an English speaking forum, please brush up your English spelling and grammar. Sanath Jayasuriya was great and that was why he crossed the 10,000 run mark. From your logic, Akram, Kumble, Waqar and many other bowlers played over 300 ODIs but they did not score more than 10,000 ODI runs. So you are wrong to say that bowlers can cross 10,000 run mark if they play 300 plus ODIs. We tackled Wasim and Waqar well and that was why Aravinda and Sanath have good records against Pakistan. Check their records and stats please. What happened when Pakistan hosted the 1997 independence cup? Recall how Sanath and Aravinda had a field day against your bowlers in Lahore? Sorry my Pakistani fans, this person is insulting our cricketers forcing me tor respond. Aussie bowling attack is great and you cant deny that. During the early 1990s we were new to cricket and please dont loook at that time.

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 8:35 GMT

Mahaanama..
when gavaskar/border/richards started playing ..the situtation was not like modern cricket for batsman...
deadly fast pitch,deadly fast bowler,no protection ...

any srilankan batsman cant dream of playing in perth pitch untill 1990...
adn sanga is extremely lucky that australina are not preparing that kind of pitch in 2012.
even sangakara not faced good times of wasim or waqar or imran or ambrose or walsh or marshal ..leave it..even not faced mcrath or donald in real fast track !!!...

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 8:16 GMT

Sinhaya ..this is not related to english..any way you got my points and you accepted it...
yes ..your best jayasuriya alos crossed 10000 runs with avarage below 33..
in that avarage and with that amount of matches even any bowler can cross 10000 mark.....:(
and sangakara wa luckky.....he was born in era where there was no west indies fast bowler or end of best fast bolwer likes of wasim,waqar,aqib,saqlain ,walsh,ambros or mgrath...
and he was more lucky that bangladesh got test status :)..

there is huge difference between scoring runs against this ordinary australian attack and attack with mgrath ,gillespei,huges,whitney,mcrath etc...

and please note for srilankan fans ..he may be better than rantunga as left hander.....but no where near classy lara,anwar or border..

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 8:11 GMT

Not as a wicket keeper (as a pure batsman) Sanga has scored 6843 runs in 66 matches with the average of 67.08. No other batsman other than Sir Don Bradman has achieved this much success as a pure batsman.

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 7:56 GMT

@rustyryan, yes I agree we are not too profitable to be getting too many tours of Eng, SA and Australia. But looking at the tests we played in SA since they were re admitted, it is almost the same as India. May be Pakistan will get a lot of away tours like India due to their large fan base after India. Yes Chandimal has a very good average outside of Asia in ODIs. Hope Mathews can convert his fifties into centuries so that he can be a great batter too. But please be fair to Sanga by factoring the less games he has played in Australia, England etc. Regarding our tests in Australia, we have to do something this time as we dont have a test tour of Australia until 2019 according to the ICC FTP.

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 7:53 GMT

@matchfixerpkn: Gavaskar started playing test cricket 10 years before SL got test status and Border started playing test cricket at the period Mahela and Sanga were born.So do you expect Gavaskar and Border to reach 10000 after Mahela and Sanga lol? Even Mahela reached 10000 in less number of innings than Gavaskar and Border. Sangakkara is the fastest to reach 8000 runs and 9000 runs in the history of test cricket. If he reaches 10000 in his next ininning he'll be also the fastest to reach 10000 runs along with Lara and Tendulkar. Out of Sangakkara's all test runs he has scored only 284 runs just in 4 tests against Bangladesh during his entire career. Sanga has played 49 test matches away from home and his batting average for those matches is almost 50. Not as a wicket keeper Sanga's average is 58.84 for the matches he played away from home(even better than Tendulkar's away average). We remember who has been waiting for years until he meets Bangladesh to get his desired century lol

on December 25, 2012, 7:48 GMT

Sanga averages 67 as a batsman...Bradmanesque!! great batsman who has scored in every type of tracks all over the world. class above the rest

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 7:42 GMT

Please stop calling Sangakkara a flat track bully. Remember all pitches in Asia are NOT flat. In Sri Lanka only the SSC in Colombo is flat. If anyone is calling Galle flat, remember 95% of tests in Galle have produced a result. Most Sri Lankan pitches take spin and that was why Murali managed to take so many wickets. Looking at the number of test matches played in Sri Lanka and the number of games ending in a stalemate is extremely low. Sanga scoring on a spinning track should not get him the label of a flat track bully. When Sanga scored a double ton in Abu Dhabi last year, it was not a flat bed. Sanga also scored a ton in Southhampton last year. No doubt Dravid and Tendulkar are the best batsmen from the sub continent who excelled on green tops.

Danufur
on December 25, 2012, 7:32 GMT

@rustyryan: You cannot compare a player with the batting technique of Sanga against a brute force player like Sewag. If you did less talking and more viewing you'd know that. He has been already been accepted as a great cricketer. His awards and accomplishments speak for themselves.

@matchfixerpkn: Dude, you might want to brush up on your cricket knowledge... Sangakkara has scored well on swinging and seaming pitches. Plus his test average is over 55. He is a wonderful batsman and doesn't need your approval to be acknowledged as such.

P.S. You might also want to brush up on your English before you start writing lengthy statements. LOL. Or at least use a spell checker. :P

on December 25, 2012, 7:09 GMT

@matchfixerpkn- Calm down mate.

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 6:41 GMT

sangakara is one over rated batsman..
he is no whre near great tesp layers..he is one avarage palyer like sof sehwag..
but sehwag is more impact payer than sangakara...
also sehwag may be failed last 2 years stil he avarages above 50 and with strke rate above 82.....and he socred 2 tripe hundred agianst pak and s africa...
but most of sangakara runs flown agianst bagnaldesh and other flat pitches in srilanka...
sorry .. i m not sehwag fan.. i m saeed anwar fan...
sorry..no anwar here..bcos sangakara is even not half the mark of anwar..
so dnt compare sangakara with other left hander anwar or lara or border..
..srilnakan fan compare sangakara to ranatunga :)

on December 25, 2012, 6:40 GMT

Sangakara - The BEST Flat-Track Batsman ever !!! :P

on December 25, 2012, 6:14 GMT

@rusty- i don't know where are you from.But i can safely say if sanga do not have larger numbers in matches column,it is because of the cricket boards of countries like yours who are afraid of losing matches to a country that only has 30 years of test status.We are really proud of players like sanga and murali,and it is amplified by the fact we are only 30 years into test cricket.Sanga will be the fastest or second fastest to 10,000 in the next match.And everyone should remember the fact he was a WK as well for over 45 test matches for his country.

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 6:04 GMT

haha..srilankan are boosting their batsman right and left..
still no one from srilankan line up reached 10000 runs.. i beleive more than 2 or 3 batsman represnect other countires with above 10000 runs ..
gavaskar / border reached 10000 runs 10 year back..lol!!

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 6:01 GMT

@rustyryan: Don't mention stats blindly. Clarke,Cook & Amla are great batsmen. So you think now they can be considerd as all time best as they are at their best these days. That might be all right. Then how on this earth you think Sanga who has been the most consistent batsman over last 6 years who has always been in top 5 ICC batsmen in that period (Number 1 test batsman in most of the times during that period) is not good enough to be in the category of Sachin, Lara, Kallis, Ponting? Didn't you check all stats of players you have mentioned? Check again mate. Kallis averages 35 in Eng, 35 in SL, 31 in BD , Lara averages 33 in India, 36 in NZ. Ponting averages just 26 in India in 14 tests. But they are still great players. Check further. Cook Averages 32 in NZ, 26 in UAE, Clarke averages 34 in SA 38 in India, 25 in BD, Amla Averages 20 in WI, 17 in SL, 24 in Paki. But you only have doubts about averages of the bstaman who has been at the top of ICC rankings for last 6 years. Shame on u

matchfixerpkn
on December 25, 2012, 6:01 GMT

his one day strike rate is very poor...belwo 75....now a days no opposition team will try to get wicket of any no. 3 batsman whos strkike rate is belwo 75..probably that may be the reason he scored some runs in 2012...

on December 25, 2012, 5:55 GMT

Sanga ,Mahela and Aravinda like players never ever stayed in the crease when they felt they were out,not waiting for the Ampire's decleration.Bless them,they are great players.

on December 25, 2012, 5:53 GMT

" ...his smug speech to Shaun Pollock in the Super Eights of the 2003 World Cup..."
Can somebody please give the details of above?

SeamingWicket
on December 25, 2012, 5:51 GMT

Sanga is indeed one of the all time greats.
That cover drive of his is amongst the most stylish ever seen in the international game.
That shot will be remembered long after he retires.
And it will be used in cricket tutorial videos

Sanga2014
on December 25, 2012, 5:24 GMT

I think Mahela is very much talented than Sanga. He is very elegant and classy.But Sanga is mostly hardworking batsman. This is why I say Mahela is the best batsman Sri Lanka ever produced

on December 25, 2012, 5:21 GMT

Perhaps the only thing that separates him and the likes of Lara, Tendulkar and Ponting is his inability to up the tempo when needed (especially in ODI's).
But then again who are we to question the capabilities of a batsman who has (almost) scored 10,000 test runs

on December 25, 2012, 5:08 GMT

everyone talk about mahela's and sanga's averages in away conditions.it may be low standards when compares to home statistics.But the true thing is SL haven't played many more test matches in overseas like IND,PAK(or guys compare to sachin and lara).So that's a big matter because doesn't matter how good a player you are,you need to bat,bat and bat more in those conditions.You can't go and hit a century in first ever test match in those pitches.you need to adapt.For that you need more test matches in overseas.I think people who wants to compare these two guys's averages with sachin and lara,i think it's not fair enough because they had more chances of playing overseas than SL players.so don't mention any stupid retarded comparisons here unless you can't convince those explicitly. Whoever whatever says, i would like to wish sanga's achievement for 10,000.In the end,he will be the fastest man ever to reach this special milestone despite of having those criticisms.

sameer111111
on December 25, 2012, 5:04 GMT

@r0ketman : what does india's oversea's record have to do with sanga as a batsman? btw, india may not be faring too well recently, but their overseas (and also home) record is far better than sri lanla in the last 10 years. and best left handed batsman of his era? well, if i remember correctly, a certain b c lara used to play the game not long ago.

ShehanJ
on December 25, 2012, 4:45 GMT

Hope springs eternal in the human breast. All Sri Lankan fans hope that Sanga will come good and SL will win the match and the series. But reality is quite different from what one hopes for. No doubt Sanga might go past 10,000 runs...but winning the match and the series is a big ask.

Narbavi
on December 25, 2012, 4:28 GMT

@Sinhaya: Sanath is surely one of the exciting ever we have seen, but to rate him above Sanga is way too much, sanath barely managed to average 30 in odi's and 40 in tests, Sanga is surely lanka's best ever!!

on December 25, 2012, 4:10 GMT

@rustyryon - we hope other cricket agencies would punish us with overseas test series, But that's just your nonsense.. you punish us by calling cash rich india time an time again without us..

on December 25, 2012, 4:07 GMT

Great Legend who will be never forget ... He play like a true gentlemen....Hats of to you Sir ..We are very proud to have you on our team..you are a true LION ..... Stop argue about who is the best sachin or sanga .. They are all real heros and born to play cricket ..and stop this and enjoy watching them

on December 25, 2012, 4:03 GMT

Im a die hard Sangakarra Pakistani fan and cant wait to see him bat in the test series , ill do my best to grab his autograph:)...and yes for the critics, players go through a rough patch, the ups and downs come with everyone in their careers not just sporting stars, you cannot blast them for one moment in time when they under performed. So enjoy the test cricket

line.and.length
on December 25, 2012, 4:02 GMT

as a cricket lover, I think Sanga is pure class, with his natural ability and fighting (but fair) spirit, and I dearly hope he reaches 10,000 career runs at the MCG... as an Australian I still hope he reaches 10,000 career runs at the MCG, but Oz still wins

on December 25, 2012, 3:41 GMT

@Mahela Jayawardene? He joined the 10000 run club a year ago against SA. What is the point in your comments anyway? Of course Sachin is better than Sanga or Mahela. Sachin has been playing internatioal cricket since he was 16 and having still not retired in tests i would say he had am unfair advantage over other test batsman. Which is why his records are great. Sanga and Mahela are similar to Dravid and Laxman. People who played when their time came and retired when they should have. People like Tiwary and Rohit Sharma will be 30 when they get their place in India's test team. This isnt greatness or godlike its called politics.

Prabhash1985
on December 25, 2012, 3:40 GMT

@Sinhaya regarding Sanath... For me, it's always Aravinda, but it's hard to say who is better. They indirectly support each other. Jayasuriya knows that he can play shots without any fear at all, as he knows there are enough skill in the middle order, specially Aravinda. If Jayasuriya goes big, that supports Aravinda too. So, it's hard to say. Sometimes, if the roles were exchanged, statistics could have been different. But, for me, Aravinda's class was never equaled by anybody. We don't have an equivalent batsman neither to Sanath or Aravinda. My perspective is that it's why we lose at many occasions.

Prabhash1985
on December 25, 2012, 3:31 GMT

Just let the bat talk. People who talk too much, indirectly imply that their team is in trouble.

rustyryan
on December 25, 2012, 3:07 GMT

And one more thing. Both Sachin and Lara played considerable amount of tests in away conditions and yet maintained respectable average. Sachin in fact played 20 tests in Aus and still get an average of 53 and Sanga is yet to play ten tests against top quality teams in their own backyard. Yeah I agree Sri Lanka may not be financially profitable touring countries and most countries may nt prefer them touring and tats why they may nt ve played many tests outside Sub continents. But we cant go with assynotuibs, what if he played lik this or lik that. Among the modern day cricketers, Clarke, Cook and Amla seem to be the only players who can ever be in the list of Lara, Sachin, Kallis and Ponting. Not even Virat Kohli or Shewag or Watson or ABD. If Sri Lanka needs a world class player, they have to look for Chandimal and Mathews.. Both are gutsy though not technically gifted lik Mahela. Yet they seem to be better players in away then these two.

rustyryan
on December 25, 2012, 3:00 GMT

So as some one asked me, here is the stats comparison of away record between Sachin and Sanga.. Sachin Averages 53 in Aus, 54 in England, 46 in South Africa, 47 in West Indies and 68 in Sri Lanka itself. Where as Sanga averages 57 in Aus, 30 in England, 35 in South Africa , 34 in West Indies and 36 in India. Also Sanga would happen to be the only man in 10,000 clubs to have away ground average less than 40 in more than three countries. The only other man who averages less than 40 against three countries and yet to score 10,000 runs is Mahela Jayawardane. Now I made myself clear. If you wish, I can compare the similar stats of Sanga with Lara too. But even I lik Sanga. So why bother him. I agree he is classy and highly dependable in Sub Continent,except India. But Along with Lara and Sachin ?Thats a big assumption you have put it out.

rustyryan
on December 25, 2012, 2:51 GMT

@priceless1: Dont get yourself wrong , Mate. Sanga averages 30 in England and 35 in South Africa. If you take away the 192 in Hobart, his average drops down below 45 in Australia. Yes I checked with Cricinfo. Even in India , his average is 36 and in West Indies his average drops down to 34. Now cross check the stats yourself with other greats like Sachin and Lara

Attractivue
on December 25, 2012, 2:17 GMT

@RustyRyan, are you kidding me? He's got wonderful averages outside of Sri Lanka, he's one of the greatest to have ever walked the earth!

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 2:17 GMT

@sameer111111 yes Sanga does not have a very good average in Australia and England, I agree. But he has played far too little games there as well. He has played only 5 tests in South Africa. But still his average is decent outside Asia considering the limited chances he got. You forgot to mention his double ton in UAE last year. Remember Pakistan has a great bowling attack and scoring against them is tough. He deserves more tests outside Asia. @rustyryan, come on men, dont expect us to play all tests away. Each team must have a fair share of home and away games and that is what cricket is all about. Any reason for suggesting Sri Lanka not have any home tests?

Sinhaya
on December 25, 2012, 2:02 GMT

@Imsrk, dont you think Sanath Jayasuriya was the best batsman Sri Lanka ever produced? Sanath Jayasuriya was the most exciting batsman to watch all the time.

r0ketman
on December 25, 2012, 1:56 GMT

@sameer111111: Wow! An Indian fan calling a Sri Lankan player (arguably the best left handed batsmen of his era, and a good captain to boot) a flat track bully? That title can only belong to Indian batsmen like Tendulkar, Sehwag and the rest of the vaunted batting line up. At least Sri Lanka took their first match of the series to fifth day last week and was close to a draw. Last time India played in Australia, they were all out by the 4th day of the first test, not even lasting 50 overs, on their way to a 4-0 drubbing. Sanga averages almost 50 in away matches, how is he a flat track bully?

Mahaanama
on December 25, 2012, 1:36 GMT

SL have played test matches all over the world during last 5-6 years. Irrespective of the oppostion and the venue of those matches played Sanga has always been in top 5 in ICC test batsmen rankings in last 6 years.(Sanga has occupied number 01 possition most of the times during that period) There is no other batsman has been that consistent during that period. If you check career records even Tendulkar hasn't been that consistent for a that long period(I mean always being in top 5 and being the number 01 batsman most of the times for 6 years consecutively) Since Sanga gave up wicket keepng he has been ahead of Tendulkar 90% of the times during the period in terms of ICC rankings. I know Tendulkar is also a legend and I'm not trying to condemn his ability here. Anyway without doubt Sanga is the world No 01 test batsman for last 5-6 years.(I don't think he's the No 01 batsman in 2012 as this year is one of the worst years in his career though he's still in top 5)

on December 25, 2012, 0:22 GMT

Sanga is one of the most underrated batsmen of modern times. Records dont lie , especially when you are speaking of being in the company of Sachin , Lara , Ponting !!!

ygkd
on December 24, 2012, 23:30 GMT

As an Australian, I would think it fair if Sangakkara was to complete a double-hundred in Melbourne, particularly given that he would most likely have had one on a previous tour here had the DRS been in place then. I am sick of hearing or reading the flat-track-bully accusations against Sangakkara and his mate Jayawardene. They are two of the very finest batsmen ever and, as cricketers go these days, two gentlemen as well. It's a pity that some followers of the game (so often followers of just one XI or, indeed, of just one player) do not act a little more gentlemanly towards them and their achievements. The game will be the poorer on their retirement, events which no doubt will not be subject to perpetual postponement, as has unfortunately been the case recently with a couple of their top-scoring peers. No, I don't think staying too long is their style, however much SL need them, and that is hardly indicative of them being flat-track bullies at all.

Prem2248
on December 24, 2012, 23:26 GMT

We need more Tennakoone,Dias, S'weera, Atthapattu, Aravinda type batters in all forms of the Game however I have to admit that, it won't take place with these J&Ps who believe in reckless risky uncontrollable hitting as the ideal to represent a country as a batter. That is why some blind hitters were allowed to represent the Country for more than 600 odd Internationals while classy player such as above could do so only 100 odd times i.e. the knowledge of batting skills of J&Ps of last 25 years.

kevepere
on December 24, 2012, 22:14 GMT

@rustyryan ... sanga may be not considered as a great yet!but he is certainly better than sehwag. sehwag's ways of playing suits t20 the most. sanga is all about class! so dont dare compare the very inconsistent sehwag to sanga! i sanga won 3 awards last year! Surely dont tell me that its easy to win even one of those. sehwag kinda batsman are behind sanga in tests.

warneneverchuck
on December 24, 2012, 20:09 GMT

He is a wonderful batsman but for me arvinda is the best SL batsman till date

priceless1
on December 24, 2012, 19:24 GMT

@rustyryan all the stats are there in their profiles , now go check it out without further embarrass your self here

priceless1
on December 24, 2012, 19:14 GMT

@sameer111111 knows fact? seriously? may be to the haters coming from India others can see there is not much different between Sangas's overseas Records and Tendulkar's

sameer111111
on December 24, 2012, 18:53 GMT

@priceless1: please do not insult tendulkar. it is a known fact that sanga is a flat track bully. all his top scores are either in sri lanka, pakistan or zimbabwe. against good attacks overseas, his record is ordinary. his record in australia is respectable mainly due to that one innings, but would surely come down by the end of the current series.

Black-Zero
on December 24, 2012, 18:45 GMT

in 49 away tests sanga has scored 4263 runs at an average of 49.56 including 12 centuries with a highest score of 270.

rustyryan
on December 24, 2012, 18:34 GMT

As usual an overrated cricketer from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka should be punished by making them play al tests outside Sri Lanka. We would know hw greats these players are.

priceless1
on December 24, 2012, 18:30 GMT

@sameer111111 whats wrong with his away record mate? did you check his stats?its not much different to Tendulkar away stats

rustyryan
on December 24, 2012, 18:27 GMT

Enlighten us about your scores outside Sub-continent. He aint that great as he is portrayed. Sachin averages over 50 in Aus, SA where as Lara averages over 50 in SL and Pak. Though Ponting's only glitch is his average in India, I would rate him as one of the greats for his shear aggression. Greatness should be measured when you do well against the conditions that dont suit you. Sanga is highly dependable in sub-continent and a good player outside Sri Lanka and yeah he is classy , nevertheless.Not a modern day great. A very much like Shewag kinda player.

sameer111111
on December 24, 2012, 17:31 GMT

A great batsman no doubt, specially against spin. Could have been one of the greatest, but would hold his away record against him.

jackthelad
on December 24, 2012, 17:03 GMT

Well, he is already a great batsman - unquestionably one of the greatest in the world - and he only needs those few runs to enshrine in figures what cricket-lovers know already; however, he deserves the landmark, and good luck to him - style, ability and hard graft should be enough, but the numbers still mean an awful lot.

Solace1
on December 24, 2012, 15:57 GMT

@Black_Rider: This is getting too far, is it wrong to have a positive attitude which in turn i believe can result in success for our team? Brother isn't understanding it, now guys like you too don't believe it!!

on December 24, 2012, 15:45 GMT

I think Sangakkarra deserves everything he gets. Great player, great man. As an Engand fan I've really enjoyed watching him play. Let's hope that when he eventually retires he gets given the job of sorting out world cricket. A man of his intelligence and courage is desperately needed before there's nothing left apart from silly T20

Black_Rider
on December 24, 2012, 15:27 GMT

@Sinhaya:: I noticed mate. I think he is a fan who hates SL cricket.

getsetgopk
on December 24, 2012, 14:46 GMT

A giant of a batsman against all sorts of bowling but especially against spin bowling. He single handedly whethered the storm in UAE and in SL against the best spin trio in world cricket at the moment that of Ajmal, Rehman and Hafeez. The man is honest and frank about his own and his team's limitations whenever he speaks but above all, is fearless. Still early days and wish him all the best on the cricket field but would love to see him getting into politics after cricket. I see a great servant for SL people in Sanga. All the best.

Solace1
on December 24, 2012, 14:25 GMT

@Sinhaya: Brother i look up to you, that's why i am making 'bold' predictions

QingdaoXI
on December 24, 2012, 13:28 GMT

@Sinhaya, i think he is impress by your views and so to get popular on the site he is using your Identity.

Hardy1
on December 24, 2012, 13:21 GMT

Have to say he's probably been the best batsman in the world since he dropped the gloves in Tests.

No matter what he should straightaway go for the record, but hope he reaches it in quick time, that will help us to win the test inside 4 days and take a day break!!

TheCricketEmpireStrikesBack
on December 24, 2012, 11:48 GMT

Hope he does well and reaches the magic mark. It will just be an extra reason to celebrate a special match. SL and Aus produce excellent, attractive cricketers at an amazing rate. Injuries, retirements and resting players in a crowded cricketing schedule provides opportunities for others and is part of that process. I hope the West Indies can find a way to kick-start their production line. When at their top these three teams play their own individual, captivating brand of cricket and ensure that cricket and more importantly, test cricket, remains vibrant and healthy.

DiamondSoul
on December 24, 2012, 11:44 GMT

Wish you all the best sanga... i hoped u'll make it befoe this .hw ever wish you akk the best

Rom1966
on December 24, 2012, 11:25 GMT

@Tova good to see there are fans that appreciate players from other teams. There have been some really awful comments on this board. I hope sanga makes well way more than 40 runs and Sri Lanka put up a good fight just like the 2nd test in South Africa . Hope Clarke does play, this bloke is going to break all sorts of records. Think we should drop Kalu and play Prasad, huge gamble but we need 20 wickets.

Tova
on December 24, 2012, 10:57 GMT

An absolutely great player. There can be no doubts about that... As an Aussie and a cricket fan I hope he crosses the mark at the G... And for Australia to have a win of course!

Perera32
on December 24, 2012, 10:11 GMT

10 000 runs in the the Boxing day test match would be brilliant for Sangakkara. It is quite hard to believe that none of the Sri lankans in the squad have ever played a test match at the MCG. The last 2 ODI's Sri lanka played at the MCG vs Aus have been 2 brilliant wins for Sri lanka, good luck to them.

Drew2
on December 25, 2012, 1:00 GMT

No doubt Sri lanka's greatest batsman. To maintain an average of 55 over 10000 runs at a good strike rate puts him at the elite level. With 8 double centuries and 3 scores in the 190s, the bar is raised further, with only Brian Lara equal to this in the last 60 years.

on December 24, 2012, 23:44 GMT

A true cricketer to the core. A gentleman on and off the field who commands respect even in the apposing team dressing room. We are truly lucky to see Kumar Sangakkara come into international cricket and mature to the fine cricketer he has come to be. Hopeful this would be a memorable match for Sangakkara and Sri Lank.

Perera32
on December 24, 2012, 10:11 GMT

10 000 runs in the the Boxing day test match would be brilliant for Sangakkara. It is quite hard to believe that none of the Sri lankans in the squad have ever played a test match at the MCG. The last 2 ODI's Sri lanka played at the MCG vs Aus have been 2 brilliant wins for Sri lanka, good luck to them.

Tova
on December 24, 2012, 10:57 GMT

An absolutely great player. There can be no doubts about that... As an Aussie and a cricket fan I hope he crosses the mark at the G... And for Australia to have a win of course!

Rom1966
on December 24, 2012, 11:25 GMT

@Tova good to see there are fans that appreciate players from other teams. There have been some really awful comments on this board. I hope sanga makes well way more than 40 runs and Sri Lanka put up a good fight just like the 2nd test in South Africa . Hope Clarke does play, this bloke is going to break all sorts of records. Think we should drop Kalu and play Prasad, huge gamble but we need 20 wickets.

DiamondSoul
on December 24, 2012, 11:44 GMT

Wish you all the best sanga... i hoped u'll make it befoe this .hw ever wish you akk the best

TheCricketEmpireStrikesBack
on December 24, 2012, 11:48 GMT

Hope he does well and reaches the magic mark. It will just be an extra reason to celebrate a special match. SL and Aus produce excellent, attractive cricketers at an amazing rate. Injuries, retirements and resting players in a crowded cricketing schedule provides opportunities for others and is part of that process. I hope the West Indies can find a way to kick-start their production line. When at their top these three teams play their own individual, captivating brand of cricket and ensure that cricket and more importantly, test cricket, remains vibrant and healthy.

Solace1
on December 24, 2012, 11:50 GMT

No matter what he should straightaway go for the record, but hope he reaches it in quick time, that will help us to win the test inside 4 days and take a day break!!